Back-up on multiply PCs, legal?

[tbaher]

Originally Posted by SirMaverick

If you have a laptop you own and a desktop you own why couldn't you?

Because game companies want you to purchase more copies of the game.
And so some (most IMO) EULAs say that you cannot install it on more than one PC.
So for example, it is illegal for me to install a single copy on my PC and laptop. One of the reasons is that because that allows (sometimes just allowing is a crime) me and my wife to play simultaneously.

This is a clear-cut issue in most instances. It gets sticky in other situations like the following:
Part 1: I own 2 copies of the game, I install copy#1 on PC and then copy#1 on the other PC. I put copy #2 away for safe keeping.
Part 2: (assume each PC has a different copy) Copy #1 is ruined and then I install Copy#2 on both PCs each with a different CDKEY. i.e. I use CDKEY#1 in the first PC and cdkey#2 in the second PC.

Messy eh?